Full Answer
What is Geoffrey Chaucer best known for?
Geoffrey Chaucer, (born c. 1342/43, London?, England—died October 25, 1400, London), the outstanding English poet before Shakespeare and “the first finder of our language.” His The Canterbury Tales ranks as one of the greatest poetic works in English.
How should the user learn Chaucer's language?
The user should be guided by his or her own interests. Beginning with The Shipman's Tale, the texts used are interlinear translations, provided with quizzes -- self-tests for the users to check on their progress in learning Chaucer's language.
What is the origin of the name Chaucer?
The name Chaucer is derived from the French word chaussier, meaning a maker of footwear. The family’s financial success derived from wine and leather. Although c. 1340 is customarily given as Chaucer’s birth date, 1342 or 1343 is probably a closer guess.
What was Chaucer’s education?
Although c. 1340 is customarily given as Chaucer’s birth date, 1342 or 1343 is probably a closer guess. No information exists concerning his early education, although doubtless he would have been as fluent in French as in the Middle English of his time.
What kind of language did Chaucer use?
Just so, Chaucer was very much alert to the demands of writing literary works in English. The language he formed for this task borrowed heavily from French and Latin, yet its formation can only be understood in the context of an England in which English, French, and Latin were all in active use.
What is Chaucer's English is called?
The best known writer of Middle English, Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote in the second half of the 14th century in the emerging London dialect, although he also portrays some of his characters as speaking in northern dialects, as in the "Reeve's Tale".
In what language was the Canterbury Tales written?
Middle EnglishThe Canterbury Tales / Original language
What dialect is The Canterbury Tales?
late Middle EnglishLanguage. Chaucer wrote in a London dialect of late Middle English, which has clear differences from Modern English.
How do you speak Chaucer?
0:030:25How to Pronounce Chaucer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt is generally said as chaucer chaucer.MoreIt is generally said as chaucer chaucer.
How do you say I in Middle English?
2:154:27How to Speak Middle English: Part 1 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe long I is e as in the modern English see the long o is all as in the modern English boat. TheMoreThe long I is e as in the modern English see the long o is all as in the modern English boat. The long you is ooh as in the modern English boot.
Did Chaucer use Old English?
But Chaucer's function words (pronouns, demonstratives, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs) are from Old English; we still have the same set of function words today, and these are among the most recognizable of his words to us.
What is the most famous Canterbury tale?
The Miller's TaleThe Miller's Tale. And Nicholas amydde the ers he smoot … Perhaps the most famous – and best-loved – of all of the tales in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, 'The Miller's Tale' is told as a comic corrective following the sonorous seriousness of the Knight's tale.
Who is the father of English poetry?
Geoffrey Chaucer'The Father of English Poetry' (Chapter 8) - Geoffrey Chaucer.
Why did Chaucer not finish The Canterbury Tales?
Chaucer's death also prevented him from resuming the framing device at the end of the pilgrims' journey; we do not find out who won the storytelling contest as the reader might have expected from a fully framed narrative.
In what ways is Chaucer's English different from Modern English?
For Chaucer's poetry, the most important difference between Chaucer's language and our own is due to the fact that in the change from Middle to Modern English the language lost the inflectional or "final e". In Chaucer's language, the inflectional endings (-e, -ed, -en, -es) were pronounced in almost all cases.
What is an example of Middle English?
Major literary works written in Middle English include Havelok the Dane, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Piers Plowman, and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Who called Chaucer the father of English poetry?
It was John Dryden who called Geoffrey Chaucer the 'father of English poetry. ' Dryden did this in the preface of his book, Fables, Ancient and Modern, which was published in 1700.
Who is the father of English literature?
Geoffrey Chaucer. He was born in London sometime between 1340 and 1344. He was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat (courtier), and diplomat. He is also referred to as the father of English Literature.
Who is the father of English?
Read on to know all about Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English literature. Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English literature, was born in circa 1340 in London. He is most famous for writing his unfinished work, The Canterbury Tales, which is considered as one of the greatest poetic works in English.
How to read Chaucer's Middle English?
How to Read Chaucer. The best way to learn to read Chaucer's Middle English is to enroll in a course with a good and enthusiastic teacher ( as most teachers of Chaucer are).
What is the purpose of the quizzes in Chaucer's Shipman's Tale?
Beginning with The Shipman's Tale, the texts used are interlinear translations, provided with quizzes -- self-tests for the users to check on their progress in learning Chaucer's language. The assumption is that the quizzes will encourage very close attention to the language; the goal is not to encourage the users to translate literally but rather to enable them to make Chaucer's language part of their own. For example, the word "hende," used so frequently in The Miller's Tale, has a great variety of meanings -- clever, tricky, courteous, handy -- all of which are implied in any single usage, lending these usages a richness in reference that is lost in any translation. The reader who has carefully considered the word in its various contexts can enjoy some of that richness.
Is Canterbury Tales on line?
It is assumed that the user of the page has a printed text of The Canterbury Tales. There are texts on line, but none with the quality one finds in print (a printed edition, with a good glossary and notes, remains the most effective form of hypertext). The exercises on this page assume that the user has a copy of either the Riverside Chaucer or The Canterbury Tales Complete, based on the Riverside. Other well glossed editions may be used, though problems will arise in the self-tests provided, since they are co-ordinated with the glosses and Explanatory Notes in the recommended texts.
What language did Chaucer use?
His use of the London vernacular established it as the standard literary form of English. Chaucer laid the groundwork for the language of Shakespeare.
What dialect did Chaucer use?
Chaucer uses the East Midlands dialect of Middle English, more specifically the London sub-dialect for the vast majority of his writing.
What dialect does Chaucer use in Canterbury Tales?
Chaucer does, however, mimic other dialects in The Canterbury Tales, in which the Reeve—a Northerner—uses Northern dialect traits in his diction and pronunciation in his prologue and his tale—especially in the dialogue between Aleyn and John, which uses almost Scottish dialect with phrases like “Him boes” (line 4027) and “howgates” (4037) to paint the two characters as northern. Chaucer—or possibly his scribes—even goes so far as to use metaplasmus and spellin
What is the importance of Chaucer?
Both are critically important to English language and literature, albeit in somewhat different ways. (These either / or questions are amusing as debates, but they inevitably undervalue one or the other.) Let’s start with Chaucer. Chaucer is the dominating English author from the late 14th century through the 16th (until at least the late 16th and early 17th centuries). The first printing of Chaucer was either the first or second book produced by Caxton, and certainly the first book by an English author. He was frequently reprinted; in the 16th and 17th centuries, he was printed more than any o
What were Chaucer's seven kingdoms?
To be quite inferential to geographically and historically accurate data, the England of those days had seven prominent kingdoms. Essex, Wessex, East Anglia, Northumbria, Mercia, Kent, and Sussex. Each had a dialect of its own amd of which, Chaucer's was most profound— the East-Midland dialect of Essex. Chaucer wrote in his own native dialect, a hitherto unventured stance at writing literature. When Chaucer's fame rose, so did his language. The English we use today is an updated version of Chaucer's dialect. This is why he is regarded as the father of English language. A critic claims, “Chaucer found English as a dialect and left it as a language..He found English as a brick and left it, a marble.”
What would Chaucer have lived closer to?
If Chaucer had lived closer to Eastern Europe/Byzantium, or the Mediterranean, then we might consider Greek more realistic.
Did Chaucer write in modern English?
Probably the most important thing to keep in mind when talking about Chaucer is he wrote in Middle English, not in Modern English. That was quite a common spelling of the word back then, and I remember we joked a lot about it in a class I took where we read The Canterbury Tales in Middle English with no parallel text in the Modern version we use today. (People started dropping the class on the second day. By the last day to drop, about half the people who’d signed up for the class had dropped it.
When did Chaucer appear in the Britannica?
Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now. Chaucer first appears in the records in 1357, as a member of the household of Elizabeth, countess of Ulster, wife of Lionel, third son of Edward III.
What year was Chaucer born?
Although c. 1340 is customarily given as Chaucer’s birth date, 1342 or 1343 is probably a closer guess. No information exists concerning his early education, although doubtless he would have been as fluent in French as in the Middle English of his time. He also became competent in Latin and Italian.
What was Chaucer's job in 1367?
In 1367 Chaucer received an annuity for life as yeoman of the king, and in the next year he was listed among the king’s esquires. Such officers lived at court and performed staff duties of considerable importance. In 1368 Chaucer was abroad on a diplomatic mission, and in 1369 he was on military service in France. Also in 1369 he and his wife were official mourners for the death of Queen Philippa. Obviously, Chaucer’s career was prospering, and his first important poem— Book of the Duchess —seems further evidence of his connection with persons in high places.
What is Chaucer's birth date?
Although c. 1340 is customarily given as Chaucer’s birth date, 1342 or 1343 is probably a closer guess. No information exists concerning his early education, although doubtless he would have been as fluent in French as in the Middle English of his time. He also became competent in Latin and Italian. His writings show his close familiarity with many important books of his time and of earlier times.
Where did Chaucer's family come from?
He died in 1366 or 1367 at age 53. The name Chaucer is derived from the French word chaussier, meaning a maker of footwear. The family’s financial success derived from wine and leather.
Who was Chaucer's wife?
By 1366 Chaucer had married. Probably his wife was Philippa Pan, who had been in the service of the countess of Ulster and entered the service of Philippa of Hainaut, queen consort of Edward III, when Elizabeth died in 1363.
Who was Geoffrey Chaucer trusted by?
In that career he was trusted and aided by three successive kings— Edward III, Richard II, and Henry IV. But it is his avocation—the writing of poetry—for which he is remembered. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer, from the 15th-century Ellesmere manuscript of The Canterbury Tales. Photos.com/Jupiterimages.
Why Is Chaucer The Father Of English Language?
The term “father of English literature” is given to Geoffrey Chaucer because he was the first to write in medieval English, a language that became generally well-known and recognized as the common language of the day.
Why Is Chaucer Important To English Literature?
The reason Chaucer is so important is that he chose to write in English rather than French for his work. In English, The Canterbury Tales is one of the first major works of literature. The tales were first written in 1387 by Chaucer and continued until his death in 1400.
What Are The Contributions Of Chaucer?
He is known for his metrical innovation, the rhyme royal
What Is Chaucer’s Contribution To English Language And Literature?
The metrical innovations of Chaucer are well known. A few anonymous short works used blank verse before him, including Rhyme Royal stanza pattern , which is a seven-line stanza in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme of ababbcc. He was also one of the first to use Rhyme Royal stanza pattern.
What Are Important Works Of Chaucer?
I am so glad I read the book of the Duchess. I have a lot of wonder, be it this long.
What Is Chaucer’s Most Famous Literary Work?
The Canterbury Tales is one of Geoffrey Chaucer’s most famous works, written at the end of his life. The pilgrims who travel from Southwark to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Thomas Beckett wrote 24 stories about their pilgrimage. The work was not completed by Chaucer before he died.
What Was One Of Chaucer’s Most Important Contributions?
His greatest contribution to poetry is his adherence to realism as a fundamental element. “Canterbury Tales” represents a new approach to English literature as it strictly deals with the real people, their manners, and their lives, which were lacking in poetry before Chaucer.
